Mitchell on Law Spring 2009

Fall 2008

Networking Tips pg 7 Five questions for Sue Dosal 79 pg 9 New independent clinic sets up shop pg 18 Neil Thompson 99 takes on a corporate giant pg 20

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What qualities make for an effective leader? Mitchell alumni share their hard-earned insights.

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TheLeadership

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Mitchell on Law

Mitchell on Law

Volume 27, No. 1Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement William Mitchell College of Law875 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105-3076651-290-6370 fax: [email protected]/alumni

President and DeanEric S. Janus

Chair, Board of TrusteesMary Cullen Yeager 89

Board of Trustees

Kathleen Flynn Peterson 81, vice chair; Judge Elizabeth H. Martin

80, secretary; James C. Melville 90, treasurer; Louis L. Ainsworth

77; Lynn M. Anderson 80; Lawrence T. Bell 79; Stephen R.

Bergerson 74; Stephen B. Bonner 72; Patricia Ann Burke 78;

Mary C. Cade 77; Jeffrey P. Cairns 81; Richard R. Crowl 76;

Mary Lou Dasburg; Stephen R. Lewis Jr.; David M. Lilly Jr.; Martin

R. Lueck 84; Mark A. Metz 97; Ruth A. Mickelsen 81; Daniel P.

OKeefe 78; Ben I. Omorogbe 95; Peter M. Reyes Jr. 97; Lenor A.

Scheffler 88; William R. Sieben 77; Marschall I. Smith; Gregory J.

Stenmoe 81; Thomas W. Tinkham; Eric C. Tostrud 90; William A.

Van Brunt; Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright; Donald F. Zibell 62

Alumni Association PresidentMark A. Metz 97

Alumni Association Board of Directors

Jocelyn L. Knoll 92, vice president; Katherine A. Golden 99,

secretary/treasurer; Thomas C. Baxter 94 ; Jennifer F. Beck-Brown

03; Timothy E. Bianchi 95; Mark V. Chapin 82; John M. Degnan

76; Dyan J. Ebert 93; Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks 85; Mark A.

Hallberg 79; Michelle A. Hatcher 98; Lee A. Hutton III 02; Imani

S. Jaafar-Mohammad 04; Kathy S. Kimmel 96; Barbara J. Klas 91;

William M. Orth 80; Judge George T. Stephenson 85; Robert G.

Suk 70; Sylvia I. Zinn 84

Executive EditorMary Grant

EditorChris MikkoCustom Publishing ServicesThe Coghlan Group

WritingSara AaseKevin FeatherlySuzy FrischKaren K. HansonLisa HardenMeleah MaynardMary Lahr SchierJenny Sherman

Art DirectionPamela Belding

Graphic Designand IllustrationPamela BeldingJohn Diebel

PhotographersRaoul BenavidesJonathan ChapmanTim RummelhoffSarah WhitingSteve Woit

Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington

Alumni Golf Tournament

36th Annual

William Mitchell College of Law Alumni Association

The Alumni Golf Tournament proceeds support the Student Award of Merit, given at each commencement to a graduating student who has demonstrated exemplary scholastic achievement and distinguished participation in college programs and activities.

For more information and registration: www.wmitchell.edu/alumni/golf

1Table of Contents

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Cover illustrationby Pamela Belding

Spring 2009 Read the magazine online @ www.wmitchell.edu/alumni

The Leadership EquationBy Kevin FeatherlyWhat qualities make for a true leader? As these four alumni have discovered, there is no single trait or answerother than a willingness to stand up to challenges and make tough decisions.

From Boardroom to ClassroomBy Jenny ShermanProfessor Thuy-Nga Vo applies the lessons she learned in business and corporate law to her William Mitchell classes.

Professors of PracticeA timeline highlighting Professors Roger Haydocks and John Sonstengs pioneering contributions to practical legal education over the past 30 years.

The Best DefenseBy Mary Lahr SchierWilliam Mitchells new clinic gives students exposure to criminal law and a chance to connect with the local community.

Alumni ProfileThe Good FightBy Meleah MaynardNeil Thompson 99 used his training as a pharmacist and lawyer to bring a major corporations questionable billing practices to light.

DepartmentsMitchell in FOCUS: A close-up look at Professor Mark Edwards Property II class

875 SUMMIT: News and updates from the William Mitchell campus and community

Gratitude: Paving the Way

Class Notes

To the PointMessage from Dean Janus

Mitchell on Law2

MITCHELL IN FOCUS

Mitchell on Law

Debra Hilstrom: Fifth-term legislator, Minnesota House of Representatives

Nina Herman: New York transplant, waitress

Steven Cosgrove: Examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Bride Siefert: Former logistics coordinator, National Science Foundation, South Pole Station and Summit Camp, Greenland Ice Cap

Read more news online @ www.wmitchell.edu/alumni

Roll Call: Property IIEnter William Mitchells Property II class on Tuesday evenings during spring semester, and youll meet a physicist, Minnesota state representative, bank examiner, private investigator, Latin dance champion, triathlete, wooden boat builder, and viticulturist (grape grower), just to name a few. Most of the students in this second-year class attend law school part time while working full time.

Vadim Savvateev: Ph.D. in physics who speaks Russian and Hebrew

Charmaine Harris: Former mechanical engineer

Hassan Sahouani: Physical chemist with 3M who holds 24 patents in the area of liquid crystal display (LCD); also a viticulturist (grape grower)

Brian Wambach: Special education teacher

Spring 2009 3

Photo by Steve Woit

Cora Holland-Koller: Paralegal running Boston Marathon this spring and training for an Ironman-level triathalon

Miriam Duchess L. Harris: Associate professor of American Studies, Macalester College

Alisa Kushnir: Intern for both Thomson-Reuters and William Mitchell Student Services, and Latin dance champion

Michael Fahy: Former cop in Hells Kitchen, N.Y.; prison guard;

and Vietnam-era Navy vet currently clerking at the Public Defenders Office Appellate Division

Leah Stauber: School social worker

Jeremy Duehr: Environmental consultant who builds mahogany sea kayaks

Tony Lambrecht: Former University of WisconsinMadison police officer and Dane County (Wis.) deputy sheriff

Nick Kulpa: Private investigator on mortgage fraud cases who also writes short stories

Mark Edwards: Former practicing attorney, now a Mitchell professor and 2007-08 Faculty of the Year Award winner; studies parameters of acceptable deviance around behaviors, such as speeding, that are illegal but publicly accepted

Lecture topic: Edwards article comparing the U.S. governments relationships with banking and housing finance industries to the relationships other governments have with industries in their countries

Mitchell on Law4 Read more news online @ www.wmitchell.edu/alumni

William Mitchell student Debra Hilstrom, a Minnesota state representative from Brooklyn Center, won reelection to her fi fth legislative term in November 2008. The mother of two has a full platein addition to law school, she serves on six House committees, chairs the Public Safety Policy and Oversight Committee, has introduced 11 bills this session, and will complete a law school program in two and a half years.

Bringing her legislative experience to the classroom: During a discussion on child support legislation in my Family Law class, I explained why I voted against a recent law governing child support income shares.

Using her classroom experience at the Legislature: During a House fl oor debate on medical procedures, I shared a story a doctor told in my Torts class. Normally, I wouldnt have spoken up on this issue, but after hearing from the doctor in class, I felt compelled to share her experience.

The longest day(s): At the end of the last session, she attended a Tax Conference Committee meeting from 7 pm until 4 am, ran home to Brooklyn Center, came back to the Capitol at 7 am to sign a conference committee bill, and then rushed over to William Mitchell to take an 8 am exam.

Best excuse for missing an exam: The Speaker of the House says I cant leave the House fl oor during a Call of the House vote, or hell send the sheriff after me.

Legitimate reasons for cutting class: Bill hearings and press junket with Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson 95 on a bill she introduced this session mandating mediation prior to foreclosure proceedings.

Favorite time-management device: New couch at her legislative offi ce for catching up on classwork or a rare nap.

Helping other Mitchell students: Second-year William Mitchell student Joel Moravchik, who interns for Hilstrom, has high praise for his classmate/fi eld supervisor: Shes selfl ess, which can be a rare thing to fi nd in a law school setting, he says. Shed help any one of her classmates. She also brings great perspective to her classes: Shes accomplished, well-spoken, well-prepared, and provides great insights about the cases and from her professional experience.

Kudos from the states top attorney: Debra is a force to be reckoned with in the Legislature, says Swanson. She is bright, tough, and extremely hard working. Whether its public safety, civil justice, or mortgage reform, shes written many of the laws that students learn about in law school.

In her own words: This is a blast. Im having fun because I can see how things connect between the classroom and the real world.

Lisa Harden

News and updates from the William Mitchell campus and community

Dynamic state legislator, successful Mitchell student, time management whiz

Meet DebraHilstrom2L

Photo by Sarah Whiting

Spring 2009 5

The National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) is adding more William Mitchell teaching materials to its collection. This spring, NITA began publishing Practicum Series Advocacy Exercises, based on learn-by-doing methods used in several William Mitchell courses, including Advanced Advocacy and Legal Practica. Gregory J. Smith, NITAs director of publications, says the materials add a new dimension to the organizations nationally recognized library of legal advocacy training materials. The Practicum Series Advocacy Exercises,

created by Professor John Sonsteng and staff members Linda Thorstad and Jennifer Miller, allow students to

demonstrate effective advocacy skills in many forums: negotiation, mediation, arbitration, motion practice, appellate argument, and jury trials.

>> Check out Professor Sonstengs plan to reform legal education at: www.wmitchell.edu/LER

Students win major awards for elder law, health law research William Mitchell student Melissa Hunt is the fi rst U.S. law student to receive the Gregory Steele Prize from the Canadian Centre for Elder Law. She won the international honor for a paper she presented at the Fourth Annual Canadian Conference on Elder Law. Two other Mitchell students and Professor Kimberley Dayton, director of the Center for Elder Justice & Policy, also presented papers at the conference. William Mitchell had the largest number of presenters from one law school. Hunt, a 4L, is a clerk at Long, Reher & Hanson, Minneapolis, as well as for the Elder Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Her paper discussed the rights of grandparent custodians in Minnesota. Third-year student Lauren Nuffort received the Seventh Annual Law Student Writing Competition Award from the American Bar Association Section of Health Law. Her paper discussed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, which prohibits discrimination in health insurance and employment based on a persons genetic makeup. Nuffort

learned about the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act while working as a law clerk in HealthPartners legal department.

Mitchell students receive competitive federal and state appellate clerkshipsFederal and state appellate court judges chose 11 Mitchell students for 2009 clerkshipstwo students in U.S. District Court, four at the Minnesota Supreme Court, and fi ve at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Receiving a judicial clerkship is a tremendous accomplishment, says William Mitchell President and Dean Eric S. Janus. These positions are highly competitive and involve an extremely rigorous selection process. The appointments refl ect the hard work, dedication, and talent these students have brought to their Mitchell education.

>> Read more about the Mitchell students who received clerkships at:


more William Mitchell teaching materials to its collection.

Mitchell team publishes NITA training materials

Hows Mitchell doing? Thats the question on everyones mind these days. The answer: quite well, thank you. Applications for fall are steady. Support from alumni is strong. And were still delivering a practical legal education. Like all law schools, William Mitchell has been affected by the economy, but President and Dean Eric S. Janus says the

school is doing well. Weve been here for 109 years. Weve seen economic upticks and downturns, he says. Right now were doing what we always do: adapting to the situation. Were tightening our belts, but not in any way that will compromise the quality of our academic programnow or in the future.

Mitchell and the economy

Student Profile

www.wmitchell.edu/keyword=clerkships

IP clinic students make historyStudents in William Mitchells new Intellectual Property Law Clinic were among the first law students in the more than 200-year history of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to file trademark and patent applications before the federal agency last year. The clinic, which William Mitchells Intellectual Property Institute launched this fall, is part of a pioneering USPTO pilot program at six U.S. law schools. The innovative partnership gives Mitchells IP clinic students valuable practice experience in trademark and patent law while helping inventors with legal needs.

>>Keep up with the Intellectual Property Institute at: www.wmitchell.edu/intellectual-property

Delivering the Library to You

Legal Research Tips from the Mitchell Reference Librarians

Problem: You know that specific resources at the Warren E. Burger Library would be quite helpful in your legal research, but time or distance constraints make getting to the library difficult.

Solution: Skip the trip, and request the items through the librarys document delivery service. Whether you need a law review article, a brief, or selections from a digest, reporter, or treatise, the library canwithin the limits of copyright law fair use, of coursecopy the materials and deliver them via email, fax, or traditional mail. Simply fill out the document delivery request form located on the librarys website (www.wmitchell.edu/library) for each item you would like to receive. Turnaround time is usually within 24 hours.

Document delivery is a fee-based service. Costs are determined by the number of pages in the document and the format in which you wish to receive it. Because of licensing restrictions, requests for articles found only in electronic databases cannot be fulfilled. Document delivery is available only for materials that the library holds in physical form. However, with a collection of more than 300,000 volumes and more than 1,000 journal subscriptions, the library will most likely have what you need. For more information on the librarys document delivery service, contact the circulation desk at [email protected] or the reference department at [email protected].

Mitchell on Law6

Mitchell named a top public interest law schoolWilliam Mitchell is the 12th-best law school in the country for public interest law, according to The National Jurist. Mitchell was the only Minnesota school to rank in the top 35. The ranking is based in part on a law schools curriculum, including clinical programs and pro bono requirements. The National Jurist report places William Mitchell ahead of the pack when it comes to combining public service and professional preparation.



Legal Research Tips from the Mitchell Reference Librarians

7Spring 2009

NetworkingNetworking is an essential skill in todays economyhere are some tips on making smart connections

Do ask: about your contacts interests and backgrounds for speci c assistance and referrals how you can help them for the job (if one appears to be there).

Dont ask: for a lot of time (15 minutes is about right) about work-life balance (doing so might send a wrong signal at an early stage).

Do tell: why youre interested in your contacts eld or employer about skills, talents, or passions you have leveraged for success what makes you unique why you should be hired why someone would want to work with you what happened with the leads and referrals you received.

Dont tell: tales of woe about previous employers or roles about wild times when you were a studentor since!

Networking Dos and DontsEven during informal and social conversations, savvy networkers are careful about what they do and dont say


Networking has three components: relationships, diligence, and follow-up. Thats the consensus opinion of a handful of Mitchell alumni and a staff member who are very good at the practice: William Mitchell trustee Lynn Anderson 80, executive vice president and general counsel for Holiday Companies; Mark Chapin 82, deputy Hennepin County attorney; Bridgid Dowdal, William Mitchells assistant dean for career and professional development; and Barbara Klas 91, former executive director of the International Institute for Women Entrepreneurs. All have had years to hone their networking skills, and all agree that its an essential skill in todays economy. What are the secrets to doing it correctly? Read on for their insights.

Step #1: Start close to homeThe people closest to youfamily, friends, business associates, and classmatesare the best fi rst contacts. Every position I have gotten has been through my professional network, never by responding to an ad, says Klas. My network of law school colleagues has

always been my fi rst resource. She adds that the colleges Alumni Relations Offi ce is also an invaluable resource. Mitchell does a good job of keeping alums connected through events, resources, communications, and LinkedIn, she says. Dowdal echoes those sentiments and recommends getting in touch with faculty members. They never shy away from alums getting back in touch to brainstorm about opportunities or connections, she says.

Step #2: Do your homeworkTaking time for introspection, including personality profi ling tests, helps you understand the kind of work and organization that will make you happy. Klas uses a one-sentence statement to tell contacts what shes looking for, and Anderson suggests having four or fi ve key message points ready to go. To make the most of events that involve working the room, Klas makes a list of the people she wants to get to know and sets a goal to meet them. Chapin advises always having business cards with you and asking for others cards, but he doesnt

recommend diving right in. He defi nes networking as building and cultivating relationships. With so much information available online, you should know a lot about your contacts before you meet. Learning about people shows you care, and discovering common interests strengthens personal bonds.

Step #3: Follow upWhen people facilitate introductions, they trust you to follow through and let them know the results. And when a job opens, Chapin says he takes pains to remember the networkers who kept in touch. By the same token, Anderson says she appreciated the email thank you a successful job seeker sent to dozens of people who helped her. It took a village, and her note connected them. A fi nal word of wisdom from Anderson: Treat people the way you expect to be treatednot just in networking, but every day in practice. You never know where your next job is going to come from. It could be from opposing counsel, a judge, or an older or younger associate.

Karen K. Hansen

Over the past 20 years, William Mitchell Professor Eileen Roberts has helped hundreds of alumni become successful attorneys. Last year, one of them, Steve Mayeron 98, an attorney and shareholder at Leonard, Street and Deinard, decided to offer his thanks by creating an endowed scholarship at William Mitchell in her honor. Professor Roberts pours her heart into the classroom and her teaching, Mayeron says. Her door is always open before and after class to talk about the subject matter, job search strategies, internship opportunities, or practice realities. Through her connections, she has helped countless students, including me, find a job, even after they have graduated. Mayeron knew, however, that he couldnt endow a scholarship on his own, so he called on a few of his fellow Mitchell alumni to help. Not everyone can make a million-dollar gift, but when people join together, they can make major gifts that significantly impact the college, says Lisa Barton 97, Mitchells development director. With that in mind, Mayerons first calls were to Sally Scoggin 80, a shareholder and attorney at Briggs and Morgan; Chuck Hoyum 81, in-house counsel at Old Republic National Title Insurance (and Roberts husband); Sally Silk 02, an associate at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi; Jennifer Okerlund 04, in-house counsel at Target; Signe Levine 06, a real estate associate

at Leonard, Street and Deinard; and Marni (Lattimore) Nygaard 03, an attorney at AEI Capital Funds. Everyone volunteered to make a few more calls, and the initial scholarship funds were raised quickly. Roberts is the Austin J. Baillon and Caroline M. Baillon Professor of Real Estate Law, specializing in the law of real property and real estate transactions. She serves as general editor of Minnesota Practice: Real Estate Law, and is a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. She also represents the the Minnesota State Bar Association Section of Real Property Law on the Minnesota Electronic Real Estate Recording Commission.

Roberts, whose professorship was created by a major gift from Austin (John) and Caroline Baillon and the Baillon Family Foundation, knows the impact of giving. By giving to William Mitchell, donors let those of us who teach here know that the legal education we provide is of value to our students and to the greater community, she says. With their generous gifts, our alumni donors thank us, not only for what we did for them while they were students, but also for what we do for current students and the world outside our doors.

Lisa Harden

Mitchell on Law8

To contribute to the Friends of Professor Roberts Scholarship fund or to learn about scholarship giving, contact Lisa Barton at 651-290-6357 or visit www.wmitchell.edu/giving.

Common CauseAlum launches successful scholarship drive to honor Professor Eileen Roberts 80

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Five Things About

Sue Dosal makes things happen. Over the course of her 27-year career as state court administrator of the Minnesota Judicial Branch, she took the vision of creating the Minnesota Court of Appeals and helped give it bricks and mortarnot to mention a staff, rules of procedure, and a computer system. She also played a key role in unifying the court system for the states 87 counties, and founded the National Court Interpreter Consortium to ensure proper training and certification for court interpreters. Last year she was recognized with the prestigious Warren E. Burger Award, given by the National Center for State Courts. We caught up with her to ask some tough questions, and she confessedshe really once was a ski bum. Read on for more of her favorite things.

1. Most important mentor during your career?Its hard to pick one, but Chief Justice Douglas Amdahl 51 made a tremendous impression on me. He had a reputation for integrity and compassion. When he was appointed to the state Supreme Court, six weeks after he moved to the chambers here in the Capitol, he came back to Hennepin County carrying a box with a stapler, pads of paper, and other little items. They had mistakenly been transferred (they belonged in Hennepin County), so he brought them back! Another time he was late for a speech at a major event because he stopped on the freeway to help a woman change a tire.

2. What do you know now that you wished you had known back when you were starting your career?When we began we only had a small inkling about the interconnectedness of the justice system. Significant change involves the interplay of social services, prosecutors, defense, probation, corrections, public safety, etc. This understanding is changing our approach to some of the most difficult problems. Dealing system-wide is more difficult and takes longer upfront, but it has a more meaningful and lasting impact.

3. How do you unwind away from the office?I typically get home late, prepare dinner, and try to catch up on whats happening in the world. Ill watch the political talk shows and other news shows. In the summer, we go up to our lake cabin north of Brainerd every weekend and spend an additional couple weeks there with our friends and family. I have a bridge group thats been together since college, and we play once a month. I love to downhill ski, and I golf a little, too. Someday when I retire, Id like to learn Spanish and to play the piano. Right now, Im busy helping my oldest daughter plan her wedding.

4. Favorite vacation spot? Besides the cabin, we try to go to the east coast of Florida every winter. I also love Aspen. I was a ski bum for three months there during my junior year in college, and Ive had the skiing bug ever since.

5. What is your dream job (apart from the one you have now)?Ambassador to Norway. That is where my ancestors came from. Its a fabulous country. I did my undergraduate work in 20th century European history and always thought I would go into international affairs. It would be wonderful to represent the United Statesand to do so by living in a different culture and really understanding it.

Sara Aase

Sue Dosal 79, state court administrator of the Minnesota Judicial Branch, on Doug Amdahl 51, skiing, and serving as an ambassador to Norway


Alumni Profile

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Doris Ohlsen Huspeni70

What qualities make for a true leader? As these four alumni have discovered, there is no single trait or answerother than a willingness to stand up to challenges and make tough decisions

Greed. Corruption. Lawlessness. Open any newspaper these days and you might think these are the new traits of leadershipWall Streets full of thieves, our baseball heroes arent so heroic after all, and numerous politicians have been caught lying. As a law school that has taught thousands of legal professionals about justice, William Mitchell doesnt buy it. While defining the exact characteristics all leaders share may be impossible, they do have some things in common. We asked four alumni to share their thoughts on leadership with us. Heres what we found out: Their backgrounds and styles are as different as their causes. They all demonstrate a willingness to make bold decisions. The list of their shared traits does not include gluttony, fraud, and a penchant for breaking the law.

These are their stories.

A Mothers TouchRetired Court of Appeals Judge Doris Ohlsen Huspeni remembers the day she kiddingly set Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson straight. In 1992, Anderson asked Huspeni how she defined her role on the court. She told him she saw herself as a kind of mother figure. He duly noted that and went on his way, she recalls. Ten years later, Anderson reminded her what she had told him. He said, You know, I think you sold yourself short. Youre really a darn good judge, she recalls. I shook my head. I said, Paul, its clear youve never been a mother.

Huspeni, who raised five children during her career, retired in 1998 but continues to serve on the appeals court four to six months each year as a senior judge. She says she always brought a mediating, mentoring, and maternal approach to leadership, both as the boss in her judicial office and as a jurist on the bench. In fact, Huspenis career genesis can be traced to a parental tragedy. In 1961, she and her husband, Joe, were expecting their fourth child. But the baby girl died at birth. At the time, Huspeni had put her own academic hopes on hold while her husband finished his electrical engineering degree. In the hospital, after the baby died, her husband urged her to finish her undergraduate sociology degree. He said, You have wanted to go back to school since Ive known you, and I wont let you go home and have this be a cloud on you, Huspeni says. Youre going back to school. She finished the degree at the University of Minnesota in 1964 (a fourth son was born that same year), and she entered William Mitchell in the fall of 1965. She and Joe had a daughter in 1968, and in 1970, Huspeni earned her law degree. Her legal career began in the office of State Public Defender C. Paul Jones L.L.M. 55 who hired three women. The others included Rosalie Wahl 67, later Minnesotas first female Supreme Court justice, and Roberta Levy, who would become a Hennepin County district court judge. They covered for each other when anyone had to take a child to the doctor or attend to other family matters. It was a great experience as a mother with young children, Huspeni says. Several years later, Gov. Al Quie appointed her to the Hennepin County Municipal Court and then to the Hennepin County District Court. Gov. Rudy Perpich went one better, appointing Huspeni to the then-new Minnesota Court of Appeals in 1984. Her experiences as a mother naturally informed her leadership style as a judge, she says. I felt a very motherly attitude toward the law clerks, and I think that translates to mentoring, she says, adding that her clerks often played essential roles in formulating her legal analysis. I felt that we were working together rather than anybody working for me.

Spring 2009 11

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SPECIAL FOCUS: the leadership equation

By Kevin Featherly

Mitchell on Law

While she is aware that some see the maternal approach as potentially detrimental in a leadership capacity, she says she never saw any alternative. It simply is not in her makeup to play the heavy. I dont think I would be capable of managing by intimidation, she says. Id like to believe that my management by consensus worked.

The Proper PerspectiveIn todays uncertain economy, Jann Olstens leadership skills are being sternly tested. The president and CEO of Archivers, a Minnetonka, Minn.-based scrapbooking business, has had to order some painful cuts since the markets froze up last year. Archivers has also had to delay some expansion plans. He and company co-founder and board chair Bruce Thomson are betting that the economy wont turn around until the spring of 2011, and are making decisions based on that assumption. Its really cutting back where you need to, to make sure that you survive for tomorrow, Olsten says. Olsten didnt take the usual MBA route to the business world. He started as a lawyer in the mid-1970s in the Little Falls, Minn., law office of attorneys Gordon Rosenmeier and John Simonett. Later he was a partner with Minneapolis law firm Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. For four years, he served as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz and followed Boschwitz to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which oversees Republican Senate candidates election efforts. Olsten worked there as executive director. In 1989, Thomson, a former Olsten law client,

brought him on board as chief operating officer at ProEx Photo and Portrait. After ProEx was sold, both men left in 1999 to found Archivers. Today, the company operates 44 memory crafts stores in 13 states. Olsten says his law degree laid the groundwork for everything that followed. Without the degree, he never would have made the connections that led him to politics, and without politics, he may never have realized that his true passion was business. I discovered that I liked running things in business better than I liked giving advice in politics, he says. Olstens education gave him something else that proved even more critical. Studying endless case law in school forced him to think critically, to pick out the case issues that matter most and set others aside. As Archivers continues to face economic challenges, that capacity has never been more dramatically put to the test. When times are tough, you face problems on a daily basis, he says. I think whats important for a leader is that you need to step back just a bit and ask, What are the critical issues here for our company? And then help the staff to focus on those critical issues.

The Compassionate Attack LawyerPaula Jossart doesnt know who put the Beware of Attack Lawyer sign on her office door. But she knows why its there. I believe in my clients, and I believe in their causes, says Jossart, a partner at the Minneapolis law firm Yaeger, Jungbauer & Barczak. Im really aggressive about my representation, and thus I have the attack lawyer sign on my doorthats just who I am.

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Leadership

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A former North Dakota newspaper reporter and editor, Jossart acknowledges that it bothers her when the other side in a legal dispute plays it cute or tries to act sly in answering questions. I get very aggressive with that, she says. Her leadership skills were honed during her newspaper days. At age 22 she was promoted to an editing position in which she oversaw eight community newspapers. During that time, she says, she learned just how important the small things in life are to people. You learn very quickly that an obituary or a story about who came to visit their grandma over a weekend is important to people, she says. That made me a better communicator and better able to understand people. I think that helps you with juries. The news background also taught her how to stand her ground against powerful people and interests, another handy courtroom skill. There might be a judge who doesnt like the way youre doing things or doesnt agree with you, and he or she will scrutinize you and put you under pressure, she says. But you really have to stand up and take itand know that youre doing what is right. Jossart, a personal injury attorney, specializes in the Federal Employers Liability Act. Most of her work involves representation of railroad workers injured on the job without the benefit of workers compensation coverage. However, neither of her two biggest cases has involved railroad workers. In one of those cases, she secured a $12.5 million verdict for a heating and cooling company worker who was horribly scalded while servicing a faulty boiler at a school. The school district balked at a settlement, saying the technician was at fault for his own injuries. After a

long fight, the courts finally sided with Jossart and her client. I would never let up, she says. You really had to stick to your guns. In her other big case, Jossart represented a group of families who lived near the site of the worst anhydrous

ammonia spill in the history of North Dakota. The toxic gas cloud injured all 100 clients, she says. In that case, her discovery work unearthed documentation that indicated potential destruction of evidence

by the defendants. While never proven in court, her findings led to favorable settlements for her clients. It was a fight, she says. There were very, very good

defense attorneys on the other side who threw everything at us. It was a wild game of dodgeball many times, and sometimes it seemed we didnt have a lot of balls to throw back. But in the end, the plaintiffs we represented did very well. Jossart, who admits that some of her clients cases are so dramatic that they cause her to lose sleep, sees her leadership role in the context of compassionate counseling. You have to be able to tell [clients] the good

and the bad, she says. And you have to feel for them. I really do lead with compassion. Jossart says that its important to put herself in the position of her clients and understand the personal impact of the issues they face. That helps you make better decisions which not only help them, but also help the case along, she says. Thats the only way I know how to lead.

You have to be able to tell [clients] the good and the bad. And you have to feel for them. I really do lead with compassion.

continued on next page

Mitchell on Law14

Building BridgesAs a leader, Hassan Mohamud wears many hats. He is an imam, or Muslim cleric, at the Minnesota Dawah Institute of St. Paul. He works as an advocate at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis Immigration Law Project, and serves on the board of the Twin Cities American Red Cross. In addition to that, he holds seminars to help attorneys understand the issues that their Muslim clients face. Mohamud, the first Somali immigrant to have graduated from a Minnesota law school, was once involved in a public controversy. In 2006, he was among the signers of a fatwa, or Muslim religious statement, issued during a standoff between the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and a group of Muslim taxi drivers who, for religious reasons, refused to transport alcohol-toting passengers. The fatwa, issued on the letterhead of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, informed cab drivers that alcohol is the mother of all evils and it is not permissible for you to carry on working this job, because it involves cooperating in sin, according to Islam. When the fatwa surfaced in the press, the resulting controversy helped put a stop to a MAC pilot program that would require Muslim drivers to place special top lights on their cabs to discreetly indicate their position

on carrying alcohol. The program was scrubbed when passengers overwhelmingly rejected the religious accommodation. Still, Mohamud says that it was not a mistake to issue the fatwa because, under Islamic law, it is not possible to separate personal from religious conduct. The collapse of the pilot program was simply a matter of politics, he says. There were negotiations between the cab drivers, and I was one of the mediators. I was trying to bridge them because I know [American] law, and I know the Islamic law, he says, adding that Muslim taxi driverswho comprise 70 percent of all airport cabbieshad the right to resist under the First Amendment. This is my role of leadership, to bridge between two cultures. Mohamud has continued to work on building bridges, particularly in his attempts to ease restrictions faced by Somali immigrants. For instance, he says, new citizens need to wait only one year to bring their spouses to America, while those on work visas carrying green cards must wait up to five years. We are trying to eliminate this gap, he says. Mohamud, who speaks four languages and has traveled to more than 30 countries, notes that his William Mitchell education was an essential ingredient in forging his personal leadership style. William Mitchell gave me a lot, he says. Whatever leadership style I had before I came to the United States was enriched by the advanced, modern American legal system. That has

helped me in many ways to resolve problems. Mohamud says that he will continue to forge connections between Muslim immigrants and native Minnesotans and notes that many conflicts could be resolved if both sides simply understood the others point of view. But he knows

that the process will require immense patience. I have no problem living in the United States as a good Muslim, practicing Islam, he says. I enjoy more freedom here than any other place. Because I do understand both systems, I understand how they work together. But few people understand this. This is the unfortunate part.

Kevin Featherly is a Bloomington, Minn.-based freelance writer.

Whatever leadership style I had before I came to the United States was enriched by the advanced, modern American legal system. That has helped me in many ways

to resolve problems.

Hassan Ali Mohamud 02


continued from page 13

Leadership

10Spring 2009


For professors of any disciplinebusiness, economics, sociology, politicsthe current economic maelstrom has an upside: Its providing a wealth of material for classroom discussion. The Madoff scandal, the furor over AIG executive bonuses, and, closer to home in the Twin Cities area, the allegations that Petters Group Worldwide CEO Tom Petters defrauded investors out of billions have offered rich talking points and ripe illustrative examples of leadership (or the lack thereof). Such is the case in the classes taught by Professor Thuy-Nga Vo, who has been a faculty member at William Mitchell since 2006. Students in her business classeswhich include Corporations; Corporate Finance; and Agency, Partnerships, and LLCsenjoy delving into current events while discussing topics such as corporate mismanagement and shareholder loss. They also benefit from the vast personal experience Vo brings to the classroom. Having been out in the corporate world for more than 18 years, I have advised clients on the legal and business issues that we hear in the news today, she says. So theres a lot of real-life experience that I try to pull in. In teaching her business law classes, Vo reviews cases that

are well-publicized or shares examples from her professional experiencesmindful of protecting the confidentiality of past clients, of course. She believes that people learn best when they can apply theoretical concepts to concrete situations. Thats why she goes beyond statutes and textbooks to incorporate real situations into her teaching to enhance students

In the real worldVo gained her professional experience from a four-year stint as a corporate and securities attorney with Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney, and from 14 years as

senior counsel and director of finance at Land OLakes. While at Land OLakes, she took a self-assessment test as part of her executive leadership training. The results were enlightening and highly accurate. The assessment results said the job sets I would excel at and enjoy most would include being a lawyer, a business leader, and a teacher, she says, adding that until that time, it never occurred to me to go into teaching. Although she relished her years in the corporate world, Vo started thinking more about exploring the teaching role. William Mitchells goal of providing students with practical wisdom resonated with her teaching philosophy and interests. She saw teaching as an opportunity to

share with others and also deepen her own knowledge and experience in law and business. I wanted to teach at an institution that values practical experience, she says. I wanted to do something that would combine my legal training and practice with my business experience. Vo has already found success as a lawyer and business leader; teaching at William Mitchell offers the ideal opportunity to merge the skills from both those rolesand learn some new skills in the process. Jenny Sherman is a New York City-based freelance writer.

From Boardroom to ClassroomProfessor Thuy-Nga Vo applies the leadership lessons she learned

By Jenny Sherman

15

in business and corporate law to her William Mitchell classes

learning.

16 Mitchell on LawRead more news online @ www.wmitchell.edu/alumni

Professors Roger Haydock and John Sonsteng have spent more than 30 years at William Mitchell, revolutionizing the way law students are taught. They have contributed greatly to defi ning William Mitchells distinct brand of practical legal education and have infl uenced how law schools across the nation teach legal practice skills. Every Mitchell student since 1972 and thousands of practicing lawyers have been affected by their work. Here are just some of the highlights of their years at Mitchell thus far.

1972 1976 19791974 197819751973 1980

1990 19951991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Professor Roger Haydock and Professor John Sonsteng at William Mitchell College of Law

1973 Under the direction of Roger Haydock and Rosalie Wahl 67 (L), William Mitchell offers its rst full year of clinical legal education, in a house at 2093 Grand Avenue. In the rst three years, they bring forward an amazing 19 clinical offerings, catapulting the law school into the national spotlight.

1990 Haydock and Sonsteng help to found the Warren E. Burger Inn of Court.

1991 Haydock and Sonsteng write Trial: Theories, Tactics, Techniques, a textbook that wins national praise. Later, they publish a ve-volume advocacy series for practitioners and students.

1996 Haydock, Adjunct Professor David Herr 78, and clinic codirectors Peter Knapp and Ann Juergens produce a textbook, Lawyering, and accompanying videotapes used at William Mitchell and many other law schools.

1994 Haydock plays a pivotal role in the development of the National Arbitration Forum, one of the largest ADR providers in the world, and becomes one of Minnesotas premier mediators.

1977

1972 Roger Haydock joins the William Mitchell faculty as an assistant professor charged with creating and implementing a clinical legal education program.

Dakota County Attorney John Sonsteng joins the William Mitchell faculty and partners with Haydock in developing Mitchells legal skills program.

1979

Professors of Practice

Spring 2009 17

1980 19851981 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1989

20092007 20082005 20062000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Professor Roger Haydock and Professor John Sonsteng at William Mitchell College of Law

1981 William Mitchells Trial Advocacy course wins a major national award. Additionally, between 1982 and 1988, Mitchells trial advocacy team, coached in part by Sonsteng, goes to national competitions six times, winning rst, second (pictured), and third in the nation. 1988 Sonsteng wins a

Fulbright Scholarship to work in Aberdeen, Scotland.

1980 Haydock and Sonsteng begin producing dozens of videotapes and manuals for NITA and William Mitchell skills courses.

1984 Haydock and Sonsteng create the Legal Practicum, an intensive course where students act as managing partners of a hypothetical, three- to ve-person law rm.

Sonsteng writes A Legal Education Renaissance, a radical discussion of perspectives and

recommendations to encourage discussion about the future of modern legal education.

Haydock is named federal court special master in one of the largest litigation cases in American legal history. Two years later he founds and is rst president of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters.

The National Institute for Trial Advocacy recognizes Sonsteng with the Hon. Prentice H. Marshall Faculty Award for introducing countless educational innovations to NITA programs over the past 34 years, facilitating more than 100 training sessions, and serving as regional director since 1989.

For a more comprehensive timeline on Professors Haydock and Sonsteng, visit www.wmitchell.edu

2008

2008

2002

A more complete timeline was unveiled at a reception honoring Professors Haydock and Sonsteng on March 27. It is now displayed on the second fl oor at William Mitchell.

Haydock & Sonsteng Timeline

18

Photo by Raoul Benavides

A new William Mitchell clinic gives students exposure to criminal law and a chance to connect with the local community

A new William Mitchell clinic gives students

The Best Defense

19Spring 2009

By Mary Lahr Schier

Photo by Raoul Benavides

George T. Stephenson 85 understands the demography and geography of criminal justice in St. Paul. As a former prosecutor and criminal defense and family lawyer, and now a Ramsey County judge, many of the defendants he sees are young people of color who often dont live far from William Mitchells campus. Some are represented by lawyers from the Neighborhood Justice Center, a nonprofit legal aid organization located four blocks from campus. He also knows that many graduates want to stay connected to the school and give back to the community. So, he thought, why not involve alumni in pro bono work for the community? William Mitchell is in a community with a disproportionate representation of its residents in juvenile and criminal courts, he says. The community is right there, so why not? Stephensons comments at an alumni board meeting and a subsequent lunch with Andriel Dees 95, the schools associate dean of multicultural affairs, led to the start of a new clinic that is introducing students to criminal defense work under the supervision of Jeffrey Martin 03, a part-time public defender and full-time solo practitioner in St. Paul. The clinic began in January, and Dees, Stephenson, and Martin hope it will become a fixture. The clinic is really geared toward connecting William Mitchell to the surrounding community and to getting students and alumni involved in that community, Dees says.

Building skills Martin, who has an office in the same building as the Neighborhood Justice Center, views the clinic as an effective skill-building experience for students and a way to improve representation for many low-income people from the neighborhood. Since the clinic opened, two students have been working with

Martin on a variety of felony cases, including a domestic assault case and a third-degree sale of cocaine charge. Both caseswhich Martin considers typical for what a private practice criminal defense lawyer would handlewill likely go to trial, with the students and Martin handling them as a team. The students have done most of the pretrial preparation on their own, with a little bit of guidance from Martin. For the students, this pretrial process offers an opportunity to develop practice skills and confidence, says

Martin. You wont know how to do this work until you do it, he explains. You wont know how to handle the initial interview until you meet a client or how to negotiate until you go back and forth with a prosecutor. It doesnt matter how many cases youve read in class. Its not real until you do it. The experience is especially vital for students who become sole practitioners after graduation, he adds. In these tough economic times, you need to have the confidence to walk away from school knowing you can handle a case.

Quality timeThe clinic benefits defendants, too, who often get more attention and time from a student than they would from an overworked public defender. The student is more likely to be willing to listen to the defendants story 10 times to get all the details, Martin says. In contrast, a public defender with dozens of cases is more likely to say, OK, lets cut to the chase. Did you do it? With the students, you have the ability to put quality time into a case. The clinics focus on criminal defense expands Mitchells highly regarded

experiential focus in a new and much-needed area. The college already offers many opportunities to work with prosecutors, and many students work in the Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners clinic. But no offerings address the needs of criminal defense clients. This clinic has a different perspective for students, a different flavor of how criminal defense is handled, Dees says. Its all criminal law, and to understand both sides is important. The clinic is similar to other William Mitchell programs because student-

lawyers work with faculty advisors and a field supervisor. They receive credit for working at the clinic based on how many hours they put into their cases. Youd be surprised how much research goes

into these cases and how quickly 100 hours is used up, Dees says.

Community connectionsThe clinic also allows students and the college to connect with the local community, says Dees. One important aspect of that connection is the collaborative relationship between the clinic and the Neighborhood Justice Center. The center handles referrals to the clinic and provides administrative support for it. Beyond putting the idea in motion, Stephenson is unable to take an active role in the clinic due to the potential for conflict of interest, but both he and Dees hope that the program will continue and expand as more alumni get involved as supervisors and more students pursue criminal defense clinical experience. I have high hopes that this will become a continuing part of our curriculum, says Dees. Many students come here for the clinic experience. Its part of our tradition.

Mary Lahr Schier is a Northfield, Minn.-based freelance writer.

It doesnt matter how many cases youve read in class. Its not real until

you do it.

Independent Clinic

From left: Judge George T. Stephenson 85; attorney Jeffrey Martin 03; Carolina A. Lamas, executive director of the Neighborhood Justice Center; Andriel Dees 95, associate dean of multicultural affairs; and Mitchell student Christopher Pham, 3L

Mitchell on Law2

&

By Meleah MaynardBy Meleah Maynard

Neil Thompson 99 used his training as a pharmacist and lawyer to bring a major corporations questionable billing practices to light

20

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When he was growing up, Neil Thompson wanted to be a pharmacist like his dad. He followed that path and eventually took over the family business, enjoying his job immensely, particularly the closeness he shared with longtime customers. But he also harbored an ambition of becoming a lawyer. Not long after he fulfi lled that ambition, he found himself at the center of an investigation of one of the countrys top drugstore chains. For those who have not yet heard about Thompson, he and a fellow pharmacist, Dan Bieurance, were involved in a suit against Walgreens in 2005, alleging that the company

had been using a billing system that overbilled Medicaid on some prescription drugs since 1999. After a long investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, a settlement was fi nally announced last September. Walgreens agreed to pay Minnesota and three other states a total of $9.9 million. Admitting no wrongdoing, the company did say it would change its procedures to stop the overbilling. The 2008 settlement was the third time Walgreens has negotiated a multimillion-dollar deal to settle Medicaid-related problems in recent years.

TheGoodFight


Read a longer version of Neil Thompson's story in the magazine online at www.wmitchell.edu

21Spring 2009

Alumni Profile

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From pharmacist to lawyerThompson was 12 when he started sweeping floors at Nile Pharmacy, which his dad opened in south Minneapolis in the early 1950s. When he was a little older, he began waiting on customers, slowly learning typical pharmacy technician tasks such as typing labels and counting medications. He also delivered prescriptions on his bike and, later, by car. I had learned the business before I even went to college, says Thompson, who earned his pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota in 1977. After graduation, Thompson considered going to law school. But with his young wife, Liz, pregnant with their first child, he decided it was best to join the family business and get to work. Seventeen years later, with his four kids nearly grown, he began his studies at William Mitchell. He worked during the day at the pharmacy and attended classes at night. Building a caseIn 1999, the same year he graduated from William Mitchell, he sold his familys pharmacy to the Snyders Drug Stores chain. Though he was busy starting his law practice, he wanted to keep his pharmacy skills sharp, so he also worked part time at local pharmacies. In May 2000, he took a job working a few days a week for Walgreens. For the first few years, he was a floater pharmacist, working at 97 different stores, as needed. Then, he settled in part time at the store located just a few blocks from his familys old pharmacy. Thompson hadnt worked for Walgreens long when he noticed billing problems with certain customers, particularly those with what is called dual eligibility. People with AIDS, for example, often have both Medicaid and private health insurance. When billing for these dual-eligible customers, pharmacies are only allowed to bill the government for the copay or deductible

remaining after the private insurer has paid, no more. But Walgreens, which had net sales of $53 billion in 2007, was using a software program that incorrectly billed dual-eligible claims, receiving more than the allowed copay or deductible. Managers and supervisors were aware of the problem and had taught Thompson and Bieurance how to bypass the software and bill correctly. But the pair routinely saw other employees using the old system that overcharged Medicaid. So they went to supervisors to talk about the issue. They got nowhere. I reported the problem to five different supervisors, Thompson recalls, adding that he even discussed it with an internal auditor. What we got in response was a scathing email telling us to do things the wrong way. Thats when Thompson and Bieurance realized that if the overbilling was going to be stopped, they were going to have to do something about it themselves. Armed with years of evidence, Thompson called on local attorneys with experience in handling cases based on the False Claims Act.

Justice at lastIn February 2005, Thompson and Bieurances lawyers brought the case to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Minneapolis, convincing them there was reason to open an investigation into Walgreens billing practices. FBI agents soon visited the homes of Walgreens managers and executives. And thats when the real waiting began, says Thompson. Over the next three and a half years, as the Justice Department quietly built its case (under the False Claims Act, all investigations are kept secret until the investigation ends), the stress was nearly unbearable. Thompson and Bieurance continued to work together for

Walgreens until 2006, when Bieurance left to take a position elsewhere. I think the pressure got to him, and he didnt want to stay, says Thompson, who remains friends with his former colleague. While Thompson considered leaving, too, he decided it was best to stay on and gather evidence. For years, I stood right next to people at work knowing what was going onand that they didnt know, says Thompson. That was the most stressful thing Ive ever gone through in my life, including the fact that when I owned my own pharmacy, I was held up at gunpoint eight times over the years. When the investigation and subsequent settlement became public in the fall, Thompson got an unexpected surprise. Customers came in every

day. Some were my old customers from my familys pharmacy, he says. A lot of them didnt even come in to buy anything. They just wanted to congratulate me for doing what I did. It was the most gratifying experience Ive ever had in my life. Today, Thompson is on leave from Walgreens and is building his law practice, which is housed in the same building where his

familys pharmacy used to be. About 80 percent of the cases he works on involve the False Claims Act. But he also does wills, trusts,

bankruptcies, and more. After investigating seven of the top pharmacy chains over the last several years, Thompson feels certain that about half are doing things the right way. As for the other half, he says: Well, let me just say that theyre not off the hook.

Meleah Maynard is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer.

Read a longer version of Neil Thompson's story in the magazine online at www.wmitchell.edu>>

22 Mitchell on Law

As a young district court clerk with three small children, Donald Barbeau 43 put himself through night law school on his way to becoming a well-respected judge. So he always had an affi nity for law students who were working parents with a lot on their plates. His kids say he would have related to Laura Wangers struggles to earn her degree while balancing life with three young children. And he would have been pleased to ease her burden through a scholarship directed to students with dependent children. Barbeaus six children created the Donald and Donna Barbeau Scholarship at William Mitchell more than 20 years ago to help other working parents enter Barbeaus much-loved profession. Two of those children, Patty Walsh and Joe Barbeau, recently replenished the fund with an infusion of capital. William Mitchell meant so much to my dad, and he always pushed education in his own life, says Walsh. I thought it was important to help people who are working hard and have dependent children; they have to persevere and handle it all like my dad did. After Barbeau graduated from Minneapolis College of Law (later William Mitchell) in 1943, he worked for 16 years as a trial lawyer, specializing in personal injury cases. At age 39, he became the youngest member of the exclusive International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Gov. Orville Freeman named him to the Minneapolis Municipal Court in 1959, launching a storied judicial career. Barbeau served as chief judge of that court until 1963, when he moved up to Hennepin

County District Court. He presided there for 20 years, including two as chief judge. He died in 1983, and Donna, his wife, passed away the following year. Barbeau, who had a reputation as a feisty judge with a zest for work, also maintained a close connection to William Mitchell throughout his career. He hired all of his law clerks from the college and served as an adjunct professor for many years. He also was grateful to Mitchell

for providing opportunities to working students, and he appreciated the schools hands-on approach, especially for the trial lawyers he saw in his courtroom, says his son Joe, an international business attorney at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in Palo Alto, Calif. Joe and his siblings enjoy carrying on their parents legacy through the scholarship. Its very moving to see people in that situation. They are so incredibly motivated and determined to make a difference for themselves and their families, he says. Its exciting to see people who can take advantage of what Mitchell can present as an opportunity and build a meaningful career out of it.

Realizing a dreamThats what Laura Wanger hopes to do after graduating in May 2010. This Barbeau Scholarship recipient returned to law school after spending the fi rst part of her career in commercial real estate and

human resources. She left the workforce to raise her three children, now 12, 8, and 6, always intending to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. With hard work and determination, she earned the number-two spot in her class and worked on the law review. But the success hasnt come easily. She has had to juggle her own schoolwork with her kids academic commitments and activities, as well as running the household with her husband.

When she started the William Mitchell evening program in 2006, Wanger would spend the day with her kids and then attend evening classes fi ve nights a week. She commonly stayed up until the wee hours to complete her coursework

and spent weekends writing papers. Her scholarship helped relieve some of the pressure. The scholarship made a huge impact on my ability to go to school. If I would have had to add a job on top of it, it wouldnt have worked at all, says Wanger. Ive been fortunate to end up where I have. Every scholarship dollar that someone gives you is time you can spend on school and family and getting it all right. Wanger will work as a summer associate at Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly in Minneapolis this summer in hopes of ultimately becoming a corporate lawyer. She is enormously appreciative of the scholarships she received and how easy William Mitchell made it to return as a second-career student and mother. This scholarship paid for a whole years worth of books, she says. When an alum leaves something behind, it paves the way for someone to go to law school.

Suzy Frisch

Gratitude

Thanks to the Donald and Donna Barbeau Scholarship and her own hard work, Laura Wanger is on the verge of fulfi lling a long-held dream

Paving the Way

Its exciting to see people who can take advantage of what Mitchell can present

as an opportunity and build a meaningful career out of it.

Photo by Jonathan Chapm

an Photography


23Spring 2009

Laura and Gordon Wanger with their children, Rachel, 8 (left), Zachary, 12 (right background), and Mathew, 6 (right foreground)

Ive been fortunate to end up where I have.

Every scholarship dollar that someone gives

you is time you can spend on school and family

and getting it all right.

To learn more about giving to William Mitchell, visit www.wmitchell.edu/giving or call Lisa Barton, director of development, at 651-290-6357 or email [email protected].

1968Hugh P. Markley received the Second Judicial District Pro Bono Award for 2008 from the Ramsey County Bar Association. He is an attorney at Markley Patient & Wald, St. Paul, and has been an attorney for the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services/Ramsey County Volunteer Program since 1976.

1969Gary J. Palm married Donald Ridone on July 25, 2008, in a civil ceremony in San Rafael, Calif.

1974Stephen R. Bergerson will be inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in May. Bergerson played drums in a 1960s band, The Mystics, as it traveled with such legends as the Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Dion on Midwest tours. Today, he chairs the Advertising, Marketing and Trademark Law Group at Fredrikson & Byron, Minneapolis.

Donald E. Horton has been licensed by the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy as a licensed professional counselor.

1975Jeffrey R. Anderson received the Steven J. Sharp Award for Public Service from the American Association for Justice for his work representing survivors of sex abuse by clergy in California. He also

received the 2008 Trial Lawyer of the Year award from the Public Justice Foundation.

1977Stephen J. Burton was elected to the board of directors as treasurer at Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt, Minneapolis.

1978David F. Herr, partner at Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, Minneapolis, was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure.

Thomas D. Jensen, partner at Lind Jensen Sullivan, Minneapolis, was named vice chair for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of DRI.

1979Mark A. Hallberg, partner at Hallberg & McClain, St. Paul, was named president of the board of directors of the American Board of Trial Advocates Minnesota Chapter.

1980David D. Alsop, partner at Gislason & Hunter, Minneapolis, is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Patrick G. Ryan, president of Ryan Companies, Minneapolis, was appointed to the board of Childrens Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota.

David M. Sparby was named president and CEO of Northern States Power Co., Minneapolis, an Xcel Energy company.

1981Matthew J. Brandes is an attorney with Simmons, Perrine, Moyer & Bergman, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Paul C. Engh has been added to the Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt, Minneapolis, defense team for the Thomas J. Petters case.

Kathleen M. Picotte Newman opened Kathleen Newman & Associates, Minneapolis.

1982John G. Patterson joined Fredrikson & Byron, Minneapolis, as an offi cer in the fi rms real estate and litigation groups.

1983Jack L. Anderson was appointed as an immigration judge in the Omaha (Neb.) Immigration Court.

Peggy J. Birk was named executive director of the George Family Foundation, Minneapolis.

Mitchell on Law24

Class Notes

Joseph W. Lawver was elected to the board of directors at Messerli & Kramer, Minneapolis.

1984Charles Charley W. Bates is the public records offi cer/risk management coordinator for the Administrative Offi ce of the Courts in Olympia, Wash.

Judge Kenneth L. Jorgensen joined the trial group at Dorsey & Whitney, Minneapolis.

Timothy J. Keane joined Malkerson Gilliland Martin, Minneapolis, as a partner. He practices in the areas of real estate, land use, development, and eminent domain.

Paul J. Zech was elected secretary of the board of directors at Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt, Minneapolis.

1985Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks, of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, was appointed to the Board on Judicial Standards by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Brett W. Olander was elected chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Civil Trial Certifi cation Board.

Kathryn S. Richtman, assistant Ramsey County attorney in charge of the juvenile delinquency section of the prosecution division, was reappointed to the Minnesota Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

George R. Wood joined Littler Mendelson, Minneapolis, as an offi ce managing shareholder.

1986Peder A. Larson joined Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren, Minneapolis, as a shareholder. He is a member of the government relations department and works with the land use and real estate practice group.

1987Patricia A. Crumley has been named a policy fellow at the University of Minnesotas Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Sharon L. Van Dyck was elected president of the Minnesota Association for Justice.

1988Susan J. Mundahl was awarded the 10th Judicial District Pro Bono Award for 2008.

1989Susan G. Heegaard joined the Bush Foundation, St. Paul, as vice president and team leader for educational achievement.

Penelope J. Phillipsrejoined Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt, Minneapolis, as a member of the fi rms labor and employment litigation practice groups.

1990Timothy C. Baxter was reelected district attorney for Crawford County, Wis., in November 2008.

Barbara A. Zurek was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

1992David D. Ransom joined McDermott Will & Emery, Washington, D.C., as legislative counsel.

1994Paul A. Lindstrom is of counsel at Grannis & Hauge, Eagan, Minn.

Jessica L. Roe has been named managing partner at Bernick, Lifson, Greenstein, Greene & Liszt, Minneapolis.

1995James M. Clay joined Morrison Fenske & Sund, Minnetonka, Minn., as head of the fi rms trusts and estates practice group.

Lisa R. Youngers is vice president for federal affairs at XO Communications, Chicago, directing policy strategies presented before the FCC, Congress, and the Obama administration.

Class Notes

25Spring 2009 Read the magazine online @ www.wmitchell.edu/alumni

Alumni Recognized by Minnesota LawyerSix alumni were named 2008 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer in recognition of their professional accomplishments: Allan F. Shapiro 76, Finn Shapiro; William O. Bongard 81, Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey; Sharon L. Van Dyck 87, Van Dyck Law Firm; Michael J. Ford 79, Quinlivan & Hughes; Michelle R. Jester 94, Messerli & Kramer; and William R. Sieben 77, Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben. The publication also recognized Susan M. Holden 88 of Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey with a 2008 Outstanding Service to the Profession Award.

1997Daniel S. Le has opened a new fi rm, Dan Le & Associates. Le is a solo practitioner in business/corporate, real estate, personal/business immigration, municipalities, discrimination, and white collar criminal defense. He shares an offi ce suite in Minneapolis with Jonathan Geffen and Mark E. Arneson, who opened Geffen & Arneson, which focuses on criminal defense, employment, licensing, charities, and discrimination.

1998Christopher Ferreira joined Messerli & Kramer, Minneapolis, in the banking and fi nance and real estate groups.

1999Kathryn S. Hahne was appointed chair of the 2nd District Bar Associations Ethics Committee.

Gary L. Hansen was elected to the Eagan (Minn.) City Council in November 2008.

Christopher P. Malone was elected shareholder at Cousineau McGuire, Minneapolis.

2000K. Jon Breyer became partner at Fruth, Jamison & Elsass, Minneapolis. His practice focuses on business litigation.

2001Joseph M. Barnett was named a partner at Foley & Mansfi eld, Minneapolis. He focuses on construction law and personal injury defense.

Aaron W. Davis was named partner at Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, Minneapolis. He is a member of the fi rms litigation department and also leads its arts and entertainment practice.

Kevin M. Decker has been elected shareholder of Briggs and Morgan, Minneapolis. He is a member of the business litigation section.

David B. Galle has been elected partner at Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Minneapolis.

Jamie L. Habeck was named a partner at Foley & Mansfi eld, Minneapolis. She focuses her practice on toxic torts, product liability, commercial litigation, and class actions.

Chad J. Hintz has opened the Law Firm of Chad J. Hintz in St. Louis

Park, Minn., focusing on personal injury, legal and medical malpractice, insurance law, and appeals.

Jennifer A. Lammers joined the estate planning and administration section of Briggs and Morgan, Minneapolis, as a shareholder.

James D. Linnett was named partner at Dorsey & Whitney, Minneapolis. He practices in tax, trusts, and estates.

Katherine M. Wilhoit has been elected partner at Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Minneapolis.

2002Willow J. (Najjar) Anderson has opened Anderson Law Firm, in Edina, Minn., focusing on personal injury, criminal defense, and family law.

26

Class Notes

Mitchell on Law

Bruce Hanley Memorial Golf Tournament Raises Funds for Student Scholarships

The Fifth Annual Bruce Hanley Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Thursday, June 25, at the Prestwick Golf Course in Woodbury, Minn. This tournament was established in 2005 following the death of Mitchell alum, adjunct faculty member, and former alumni board president Bruce Hanley 76 to support the Bruce Hanley Criminal Justice Scholarship. Over the past four years, the tournament has generated approximately $60,000 for the fund, which provides scholarship money each year to

outstanding students who have demonstrated an interest in becoming a criminal defense attorney. For more information about the tournament or supporting the scholarship fund, please contact Piper Kenney Webb 97 at 612-340-9108.

Class Notes

Class Notes

27Spring 2009 Read the magazine online @ www.wmitchell.edu/alumni

Corey R. Elmer was named shareholder in the Vogel Law Firm. He practices in the fi rms Moorhead, Minn., offi ce and concentrates on business and real estate transactions.

Heather H. Neubauer has been named a partner at Foley & Mansfi eld, Minneapolis. She focuses on product liability, mass toxic torts, and personal injury.

Erica L. (Thompson) Roettger and her husband, Phillip, welcomed their third child, Samuel Barry, on Sept. 30, 2008. Sam joins big brother Luke, 3, and big sister Amelia, 18 months.

2003Nancy J. Berry is a partner at Moore, Costello & Hart, St. Paul.

Julie L. La Fleur joined Hansen, Dordell, Bradt, Odlaug & Bradt, St. Paul, as an associate.

Erin E. Mathern joined Messerli & Kramer, Minneapolis.

Patrick W. Ostergren joined Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, Minneapolis.

Amy M. (Gelhar) Sieben has been named a partner at Foley & Mansfi eld, Minneapolis. She focuses her practice on construction law.

2004Elizabeth Walker Anderson was named system director for HealthEast Care System, St. Paul, overseeing organizational diversity and culturally responsive care.

Jacqueline B. Kohns was named senior vice president of insurance administration at BCS Financial, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. She is responsible for third-party and policyholder administration, including claims, audit and compliance coordination, and oversight of information systems.

Jennifer C. Toohey joined Hellmuth & Johnson, Eden Prairie, Minn.

2005Erik M. Drange joined Leonard, Street and Deinard, Minneapolis, as an associate focusing on intellectual property litigation.

Kevin S. Sandstrom joined Eckberg, Lammers, Briggs, Wolff & Vierling, Stillwater, Minn., as an associate practicing in civil litigation and municipal law.

2006Connie I. Armstrong joined Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, Minneapolis, as an associate.

Ethan O. Beattie has opened the Law Offi ce of Ethan O. Beattie in Durham, N.C., practicing in immigration and naturalization law.

Anthony D. Johnson has joined Blaney & Ledin, Lake Elmo, Minn., focusing on commercial litigation, construction, employment, and probate.

Mathew R. Korte joined Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, Minneapolis, as a litigation staff attorney.

Jacqueline J. Williams joined Parsinen Kaplan Rosberg & Gotlieb, Minneapolis.

2007Brock P. Alton joined Gislason & Hunter, Minneapolis, practicing in commercial litigation and transaction matters.

Larry McDonough 83 Receives Minnesota Justice Foundation Distinguished Service AwardLarry McDonough received the 2008 Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) for his outstanding contributions to the community. A practicing attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis since 1986, McDonough is the managing attorney of the organizations housing unit and represents low-income clients in housing and consumer law. He also has taught as an adjunct professor at area law schools, including William Mitchell. The MJF awards committee cited McDonoughs passion for representing individuals and families in need and his commitment to sharing that passion through teaching law students.

Class Notes

28 Mitchell on Law

Christina K. Brusven, associate at Fredrikson & Byron, Minneapolis, received the fi rms Inspiring Effi ciency Leadership Award.

Andrew J. Budish joined Kretsch & Gust, Edina, Minn., as an associate practicing in business transactions and litigation.

Monica A. Kelley joined Moore, Costello & Hart, St. Paul, as an associate practicing in the employee benefi ts group.

Anne K. Lindberg joined Kretsch & Gust, Edina, Minn., as an associate. She will focus on business and civil litigation.

Doering S. Meyer joined the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service offi cer and will be a vice consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Calgary, Alberta.

Naomi M. Morgan and Ann M. Waldon opened Morgan and Waldon, West St. Paul, Minn., practicing in criminal defense, family law, and estate planning.

Jeffrey A. Muszynski joined Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, Minneapolis, specializing in general litigation and appeals.

Katherine L. Reed joined Charlotte Allen, Midland, Mich., as an associate.

Erin Sindberg Porter joined the litigation practice at Greene Espel, Minneapolis.

2008William R. Asp joined Best & Flanagan, Minneapolis, as an associate practicing in commercial litigation, business law, and private wealth planning.

Joshua B. Axzen joined Reyelts & Bateman, Duluth, Minn., as an associate.

Megan E. Bjerke joined Nilles Law Firm, Fargo, N.D., as an associate practicing in civil litigation and insurance defense.

Joshua A. Bobich joined Halleland Lewis Nilan & Johnson, Minneapolis, as an associate.

Nina L. Carranco joined Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, as an associate in legislative and regulatory law.

Sandi L. De Boom joined Gray Plant Mooty, Minneapolis, as an associate in the fi rms corporate and business groups.

Christine L. Eid joined Parsinen Kaplan Rosberg & Gotlieb, Minneapolis, as an associate in personal legal planning.

Rachel M. Engebretson joined Fishman, Binsfeld & Bachmeier, Bloomington, Minn., as an associate practicing in family law.

Patrick M. Fenlon joined Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Minneapolis, as an associate in the business litigation group.

Lori L. Frank joined Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, Minneapolis, as an associate focusing on patents.

Theresa M. Gerlach opened the Law Offi ces of Theresa Gerlach in Hastings, Minn. Her practice focuses on family law, wills, and trusts.

Mary H. Harens is of counsel at Larson King, Minneapolis.

Karolina M. Konczyk joined Johnson & Turner, Forest Lake, Minn., as an associate practicing family law, civil litigation, and criminal defense.

David J. Krco joined Beisel & Dunlevy, Minneapolis, as an associate.

Mitchell Alumni Serving in Iraq William Mitchell wishes a safe return to alumni deployed to Iraq as part of the Judge Advocate Generals Corps (JAG) with the Minnesota Army National Guards 34th Infantry Division. They are Jennifer F. Beck-Brown 03, assistant Hennepin County attorney; Thomas K. Hagen 96, assistant commissioner, Minnesota Department

Pictured: Jennifer F. Beck-Brown 03, assistant Hennepin County attorney

Class Notes

of Commerce; Judge Fred Karasov 83, Hennepin County District Court; Mark P. Richardson 04, Elk River High School (Minn.) teacher; Devin P. Smith 05, Oakdale, Minn., attorney; and Gregory S. Uhl 00, St. Paul attorney. Brainerd, Minn., attorney Jerry B. Steinke 97 is not with JAG, but is deployed in the Middle East.

Class Notes

29Spring 2009 Read the magazine online @ www.wmitchell.edu/alumniSpring 2009

Keep Us Posted: Send your Class Notes updates to [email protected] or fi ll out the online form at www.wmitchell.edu/alumni. You can also fax 651-290-7502, call 651-290-6370, or mail your updates to Mitchell on Law, 875 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105. We (and your classmates) look forward to hearing from you!

Mitchell Celebrates Outstanding Alumni at DeParcq Leadership DinnerLinda Miller 76 and Professor Douglas R. Heidenreich 61 received alumni awards for their outstanding achievements at the Annual Leadership Dinner in honor of William H. DeParcq 30 on Oct. 23, 2008. Named for the prominent Minnesota personal injury lawyer who died in 1988, the dinner honors Mitchell alumni and friends who are leaders in serving the

college or the community. Miller, founder and executive director of Civil Society, received the Honorable Warren E. Burger Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes graduates who demonstrate the highest values and ethical standards in serving the community. Heidenreich, a current Mitchell

professor and former dean, received the Honorable Ronald E. Hachey 43 Outstanding Alumni Award, which recognizes exemplary professional accomplishment and commitment to the school.

Courtney A. Lawrence joined Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben, Minneapolis, as an associate practicing in plaintiffs personal injury litigation.

Joseph S. Miller joined Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Minneapolis, as an associate in the business litigation group.

Jessica M. Nault joined Southern

Michael E. OBrien joined Regan Tax Law, Minneapolis, as an associate.

Martin R. Paavola has joined Otten & Seymour, Burnsville, Minn., practicing in personal injury and criminal defense.

Jacob R. Phillips joined the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, as project manager in intellectual property management.

Elizabeth J. Roff joined Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak & Pikala, Minneapolis, as an associate specializing in insurance defense litigation.

The 2008 William H. DeParcq Leadership Dinner was held at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul.

Minnesota Regional Legal Services, St. Paul.

30 Mitchell on Law

A childhood love of baseball and his grandfathers stories inspired James H. Johnson to write his fi rst book, Dummy Hanson, about a deaf baseball pitcher who played in Minnesota during the early 1900s. Johnsons grandfather played amateur baseball with Esten Dummy Hanson and used to regale his grandson with stories from the baseball fi eld. Johnson, a Kerkhoven, Minn., native, taught high school history and coached athletics in Elbow Lake, Minn., before enrolling at William Mitchell. Now retired, he practiced law in St. Cloud and Benson, Minn., and served as the Swift County attorney.

James Johnson 61 Publishes Book on Deaf Baseball Pitcher Dummy Hanson

2008 Marilynn Johnson

Rhonda A. Seefeld joined South Country Health Alliance, Owatonna, Minn., as corporate healthcare compliance coordinator.

Chris M. Tymchuck joined Zelle Hofmann, Minneapolis, as an associate focusing on business and insurance coverage litigation.

Letty M. Van Ert joined the law fi rm of Tuft & Arnold, Maplewood, Minn., as an associate practicing in family law, estate planning/elder law, and criminal law.

Benjamin A. Wagner joined Regan Tax Law, Minneapolis, as an associate.

Andrea B. Wing joined Iverson Reuvers, Bloomington, Minn., as an associate practicing in civil litigation, municipal law, estate planning, and probate.

Cynthia S. Wingert joined Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Minneapolis, as an associate in the business litigation group.

Sene M. Zupke joined Kraft Walser Hettig Honsey & Kleiman, Olivia, Minn., as an associate in real estate, probate, estate planning, and litigation.

Class Notes

Alumni Appointments and ElectionsWilliam Mitchell congratulates the following alumni elected in 2008 to the Minnesota House of Representatives: Torrey N. Westrom 03, seventh term, District 11A; Thomas E. Emmer 88, third term, District 19B; Joseph E. Atkins 91, fourth term, District 39B; Bobby Joe Champion 95, fi rst term, District 58B; and Jean C. Wagenius 83, 12th term, District 62B.

Congratulations to the following alumni elected as judges in Minnesota district courts in 2008: Gail M. Chang Bohr 91, fi rst term, 2nd District; Lawrence E. Agerter 68, sixth term, 3rd District; Nancy J. Logering 85, second term, 10th District; and Robert B. Varco 74, second term, 10th District.

Congratulations to three alumni appointed as Minnesota district court judges by Gov. Tim Pawlenty last fall: M. Michael Baxter 91, 1st District; Michele A. Davis 98, 10th District; and Caroline H. Lennon 89, 1st District.

Class Notes

1930Gretchen M. Pracht (Minnesota College of Law), 99, Edina, Minn., died Dec. 6, 2008. Attorney specializing in adoptions and welfare issues for 40 years; former vice president

Documents

Mitchell on Law Spring 2009